Culture

Murray, KY – Some people love reading on the beach, others enjoy sitting with a good book under a tree covered in springtime blooms. But there's nothing quite like curling up with a good mystery novel on a cold day. And mystery fan Michael Cohen has just the book. A Cold Day for Murder is an appropriately frozen uncommon read about an Aleut detective who investigates a pair of disappearances in the Alaska wilderness.

Murray, KY – Now that the sun's come back and summer break is just over the horizon for Murray State students, maybe vacation is on your mind Why not get started on your summer reading list? Commentator and mystery novel enthusiast Michael Cohen shares a quick uncommon mystery by award-winning writer Laura Lippman, titled The Girl in the Green Raincoat, about Baltimore P.I. Tess Monaghan and a young woman in a green raincoat who walks her dog at the same time every day until things go terribly wrong.

Murray, KY – You're probably familiar with our Front Blog series, Good Reads, books recommended by WKMS staff, students and volunteers. A great book doesn't always have to be one that ponders the unknowable or delves into life's quandaries. Mystery novel fan Michael Cohen recommends an uncommon read about a raunchy country singer turned private investigator and a bus accident involving a Hopi Indian.

Murray, KY – Maybe you know someone with a tough exterior and a hidden heart of gold, someone with an internal kindness only revealed to those closest to them. Author Robert Louis Stevenson called this kind of person a "lantern bearer." Commentator Duane Bolin examines this trait in Stevenson's essay and in his own life.

Murray, KY – Christmas time, for many, is a time to slow down, to cherish traditions with families and loved ones. But what about the day after Christmas? Or the week after Christmas? Commentator Duane Bolin reflects on the spirit of the holiday season and the period of transition before returning to regular routine.

Dr. Duane Bolin teaches in the Department of History at Murray State University.

Murray, KY – In a time of on-the-go iPhone apps, celebratory Facebook wishes and "music best enjoyed by earbud" - the holiday season means, for many, a time to slow down and appreciate the family. Commentator Duane Bolin and his family make an effort every Christmas to keep the spirit of the season alive in his household. In this piece called "Keeping Christmas" he talks about what it takes and the rewards enjoyed as a result.

Murray, KY – A Christmas Carol, Frosty the Snowman and the Nativity of Jesus, the winter holiday season is filled with stories classic and new, festive and religious. Commentator and storyteller Robert Valentine shares a holiday story titled "The Guardian" about a shepherd named Adonikam, who is greeted in the night by a mysterious stranger, long ago.